Perfume Reviews

Lady Million Fabulous by Paco Rabanne

by

Fabulous is the 2021 Lady Million release from Paco Rabanne. This one was thrown in along with another order that I had placed, which is fine since I’ve been reviewing the Lady Million lineup pretty much completely thus far. How does Fabulous smell? Does it last long? Is it worth a try?

What does Lady Million Fabulous Smell Like?

Notes include: mandarin, solar notes, pink pepper, ylang-ylang, tuberose, vanilla, jasmine, tonka bean, moss

My Full Review

The solar notes here, are the star early on, much like in 1 Million Parfum. These two are quite similar, but this is much more feminine, and I actually think I prefer it overall versus the men’s version.

It’s a bright, sweet, aldehyde blend that is met with a light mandarin and very scant pink pepper note. It does have a slight resemblance to Guess Seductive Homme, but again, this is distinctly feminine.

Aside from that, you immediately get a sweet tuberose and that familiar yellow floral aroma of ylang-ylang. This sort of has a beachy vibe, not really tropical , but the creaminess and citrus lend it that feeling.

The mandarin and pink pepper are pretty much gone, by a certain point. The solar note comes more into balance with the rest of the wear and vanilla and jasmine come into play more.

Tuberose, rich vanilla, with a mix a ylang-ylang and jasmine. It’s very pretty with a really attractive sweetness. None of it feels heavy, though. The vanilla is nice, doesn’t overwhelm or drown out the other notes.

Really, the final dry down will be less of the solar aldehydes, and a slight emergence of moss. Less bright and creamy. Still sweet, but with a bit of a powdery finish.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

The sillage has a fairly strong start, it projects in the 7 foot or so range, when I spray it and that lasts for maybe an hour before receding. Yet, it doesn’t go full skin scent until like hour six, on me.

It’s sort of a slow burn towards its faintness.

This one has pretty good staying power on skin. It goes for over 7 hours and can hit 8 hours, every third wear it seems. I wouldn’t expect much beyond that, but Fabulous is at least above average with how long it lasts.

Seasonally, keep this mostly to autumn and winter. It’s best as a colder weather fragrance, that can work in more temperate climates.

Don’t expect formality here, but Fabulous also isn’t completely immature. It’s attractive and has a sensual aroma. Good for parties, nightlife, and just general casual wear. It could be a daily wear for some, depending on where you work or go to school.

Overall Impressions of Lady Million Fabulous

Overall, do I like this perfume? I really do. It’s sweet, fairly gourmand, but doesn’t seem to ever overdo anything. I think it’s really attractive. Not super complicated, but gives you something different from the other perfumes in the Lady Million series. It’s also one of the best of them.

Vanilla, the solar notes, and that tuberose all work well enough here. The moss in the base, helps with the balancing act and keeping this from completely turning into a sweet mess.

Performance is solid, no complaints there. It’s very enjoyable and has that bolder and almost gaudy style that the Million series from Paco Rabanne is known for.

This is worth a try. It probably won’t top everyone’s list, but for the right price, this could find its way into your rotation. It’s fun and smells nice. Not blown away, but I really like it.

It does seem like this one has already pretty much left the market from most retailers. You’ll probably have to find it at the discounters nowadays.

Fleur de Parfum by Chloe

by

Chloe Fleur de Parfum is one of the various fragrances from the brand that I ordered samples of a few months ago. I’ve been working my way through the list, in order to have full reviews of each on the site. This one was released in 2016 as a flanker to the main Chloe perfume. How does it smell? When should it be worn? Is it worth a try?

What does Chloe Fleur de Parfum Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, grapefruit, lemon verbena, cherry blossom, musk, rice, cedar, blackcurrant

Click here to try: Chloe Fleur de Parfum

My Full Review

Fleur kicks things off with a very citrus heavy aroma. Both lemon and lemon verbena come through, with the latter bring a bit of a greenish spicy scent to the mix, which also includes grapefruit.

So, obviously this one comes across as super bright and upbeat. But, it doesn’t just stop there. After some of the citrus calms down, post-initial spray, you will get be able to distinguish some of the sharpness to a quickly fading blackcurrant note and a touch of peach.

Actually, 20 minutes in the is light a citrus peach floral blend, that will gradually morph into a citrus and rose perfume. The remaining citrus is mostly the verbena, which allows this one to have more of a distinct smell versus some others, and the other fruits are essentially just a mass impression of fruit.

The transition will come towards being more floral, about and hour or two into the wear. Cherry blossom is present, but the rose is what is the real focus, like the vast majority of Chloe fragrances. It still holds on to a feeling of coldness that’s present in that bright beginning.

Final dry down very rosy and the background verbena and citrus keeps that brightness going. All of this is surrounded by a light mist of musk and maybe some cedar freshness.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This sillage here is pretty light to moderate. The first hour or so is a bit above average with how it projects and any scent trail it leaves behind. That citrus does a good job at helping this one pop off of the skin.

After that, it’s going to be a lighter and more intimate kind of perfume.

On my skin, Fleur seems to stay in the 5-6 hour range, with that last hour being particularly light and pretty faint. However, it still is there.

Seasonally, this one pretty obviously fits in to the warm sunny days of spring and summer. The citrus, the florals, it all works for that climate.

It’s also got plenty of versatility within that timeframe. It’s super safe, works for all age groups, and has a nice mass appeal. I’d probably want to go with something else for dating and nightlife during spring and summer. Outside of that, this should pretty much be fine.

Overall Impressions of Chloe Fleur

Overall, do I like Chloe Fleur de Parfum? I do. While the performance is mid-range, the smell itself is actually quite good.

Very close to the original Chloe, but softer and with a twist. I like the peach, citrus, and cherry blossom aspects of this perfume. The verbena is a nice use of that note and I like that the blackcurrant takes a step back rather quickly.

The back half with the rose, musk, and cedar is much of what you get with the rest of this series. Though, the citrus helps this one maintain a distinct aroma, that’s very pleasant.

Fleur de Parfum is worth a try. It’s pretty simple, has a delightful aroma, and a softness that may be appealing to some. Probably not a must have for most people, but I think most would enjoy this one.

Euphoria by Calvin Klein

by

Euphoria is a fragrance that was released by Calvin Klein back in 2005. It’s a series that produced a ton of flankers and also had a men’s line as well. It’s a scent that I’ve enjoyed coming in contact with over the years, so, I got a sample of it to finally do a full review for the site. Is it still worth a try?

What does Euphoria by Calvin Klein Smell Like?

Notes include: mahogany, black orchid, lotus blossom, black violet, persimmon, and pomegranate

My Full Review

Euphoria is a perfume which while being a mainstream designer fragrance, does have a fairly unique aroma versus many others on the market.

It starts from the opening, where you get a mix of pomegranate and persimmon as the fruity top notes, which are two underutilized ingredients. Very juicy, tart, sweet, and delicious overall.

Underneath that you’re going to already get a good deal of what this perfume is all about. The mahogany note, which really helps to set this one apart is already apparent. But, the floral accord is what’s going to develop in full once some of the fruitiness has burned off.

Here, the main attraction is orchid. Violet in the second spot, with lotus for a short amount of time. The fruity opening subsides and Euphoria becomes floral/fruity with rich wood, instead of a tart juicy explosion.

When the floral notes get going, the patchouli will also start to come out more. It’s not too heavy on my skin, but I like the earthy depth it brings to the floral heart. A bit of spice here.

This one dries down into a darkly rich perfume. That pomegranate and persimmon continue their decline. Orchid, mahogany and amber all take on a larger share of the pie. Violet sticks around to still play a supporting role.

It gets woodier with the mahogany becoming dominant in the final dry down. Amber, musk, and floral notes. Still some spice, less of that sweet tart beginning.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Euphoria opens up with a bang. The sillage definitely is strong in the opening hour or so. Not massive, but very easily over-sprayed and will leave a trail behind you. But, that will come in closer to the skin, and be more of a moderate the rest of the way.

On my skin, it goes for 7-7.5 hours before calling it quits. Not amazing, but Euphoria does its job fairly well and I wasn’t disappointed.

Seasonally, I’d stick to autumn through early springtime with Euphoria. It doesn’t come across as a summer scent and it will probably be a complete mess in the heat.

This has a darker feeling, while still having a youthful dynamic. Not to say that Euphoria is just for teenagers, it actually casts a fairly wide net. It can be worn to school or even some offices, while also has a nightlife style, or even date nights.

Still, it may be based on my memories of smelling this stuff out in the wild, but I associate it with women in their early 20s.

Overall Impressions of Euphoria for Women

Overall, do I like Euphoria? Yes, it’s one of my favorites from the Calvin Klein women’s collection. Some of the flankers were really good as well. Though, I’m pretty sure a lot of them are difficult to find nowadays.

I’m probably a little more of a fan of this scent than many people, but I think it is great for something that is mass appealing. The men’s version is also great, but just has terrible performance. This, is much better in that regard.

Pomegranate, mahogany, and the amber. It’s different from most of the designer fare, especially here in the 2020s. This was early 2000s vibe, though, it even stands out from that era of perfumes.

It’s still super popular and probably the most famous CK fragrance from the women’s line, for younger people (Obsession? Maybe). This is worth trying out to this day, it smells great, it’s different, and the performance holds up.

Perfect Intense by Marc Jacobs

by

Perfect Intense is a fragrance that I grabbed a sample of after having already done a review of the original Perfect release. I wanted to see what this one was all about and how it smells on its own. How long does this one last? Is it even worth a try?

What does Perfect Intense Smell Like?

Notes include: daffodil, jasmine, almond, sandalwood

Click here to try: Perfect Intense by Marc Jacobs

My Full Review

Here’s how Marc Jacobs describes it: An unabashedly bold twist to the original Perfect EDP. An explosion of vibrant daffodil and golden roasted almonds meets opulent night blooming jasmine and velvety sandalwood. Celebrate the intoxicating clash of the unexpected.

The original Perfect had a rhubarb note up top, which came across like strawberry. It felt much fruitier than does Intense. Yet, this one does have a sweetness that feels fruity here, in the opening moments of the wear.

Yes, that banana-like narcissus aroma, but there’s something else too.

Along with that, you get a mix of daffodil and jasmine, also coming through. The daffodil here, feels stepped up versus the original (at least for the first part). You get a nice yellow floral aroma, Perfect Intense does have a golden impression about it.

I’d say about 30% of the floral scent, is taken up by the jasmine. I like it though, it doesn’t need to be any stronger.

Perfect Intense feels fresh, yet buttery smooth (not smelling), with the almond and that ‘velvety sandalwood’ taking on more of a role. It’s warm and really has a nice back and forth between daffodil and the almond note, as the lead.

The end is more split between the almond and sandalwood, versus anything floral. Not too heavy, pretty different from the original, and clean.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

Perfect Intense does live up to the moniker for that first hour to hour and a half of wear. The projection isn’t absolutely far reaching, just one that produces a good radius off of the skin. After that, Intense stays above average with its strength until it fades completely.

The longevity with Perfect Intense is solid, but not amazing. I get somewhere in the 7.5-8 hour range, on skin with this Marc Jacobs perfume. It’s a scent that gives you a good run of time to spend with it.

Seasonally, it doesn’t actually scream out any defined season. I wouldn’t wear it in the heat, especially when it’s also really humid outside. But, outside of the summer months, this should be fine to wear in most places.

This is a pretty scent, not particularly sexy or even formal. Though, I suppose it could be good as a daily wear, something casual, or one to wear in the right conditions while out and about.

Overall Impressions of Perfect Intense

Overall, do I like Perfect Intense? I do. I think that this is a good release all around, not spectacular but worth checking out.

The whole experience gives you a warm and golden sort of impression. The daffodil and the almond together are nice and have a buttery creaminess that I thought was enjoyable. I’m certainly not blown away by the aroma, just one that’s pleasant and upbeat.

The performance is solid enough to create a level of value with Perfect Intense, particularly if you can snag it at a discount.  It’s something different from most of the mainstream that’s out nowadays, while not being completely outlandish with what it’s trying to go for.

If you liked the original, you’ll probably dig this one as well. Personally, I still like Perfect EDP slightly more than this Intense flanker. Yet, it’s still one to check out to see which you happen to prefer.

Girl of Now Forever EDP by Elie Saab

by

Girl of Now Forever is one of the flankers to the popular Elie Saab release. This perfume came out back in 2019 and I’ve been testing out a sample of it for the site. How does it smell? Does it last long? Is Forever worth a try?

What does Girl of Now Forever Smell Like?

Notes include: rose, lemon, raspberry, patchouli, almond, orange blossom, blackcurrant, vanilla, musk, cashmeran

girl now forever review

My Full Review

The opening of Forever is a bit messy and sharp, in my opinion. I do like what this develops into, but I’m not much of a fan of the early stages here.

Lemon, raspberry, and blackcurrant obviously create a bright and fruity aroma. But, when paired with the early burst of almond and orange blossom, it feels like it is too much. I think it’s the way the lemon and almond interact, that I find bothersome.

That phase will pass, however. The blackcurrant fades, as does the orange blossom. Plus, the almond is not as aggressive.

What you do get is a sparkling raspberry near lemonade at times, emergent vanilla highlights, and a very nice pinkish rose. Girl of Now Forever isn’t a pure rose perfume, but it certainly develops into a scent with a rose influence.

As the rose comes on, you do get some musk and a bit of patchouli. Honestly, there’s not a lot of the patchouli here from what I can pick up.

Final dry down is rose, musk, wood, with a light lemon/raspberry finish. Not overly complicated, but I like the smell.

Sillage, Longevity, and Versatility

This one does start out with a good deal of power. It projects quite well off of the skin, without feeling too heavy or overtaking the room. But, it will change in a short amount of time into something that is more moderate throughout the rest of the wear.

Forever is never weak and I didn’t ever feel like this one had bad performance.

Beyond the sillage, the longevity is also well above average. On my skin, this version of Girl of Now went above 8 hours and closer to about 8.5 in total. You might even be able to get a bit more time, but this is still a solid performer for a designer wear.

Seasonally, this isn’t exclusive to the warmer weather. But, the spring and parts of summer is when it is at its best. Basically, whenever the climate is mid-range to warm outside, Forever can work.

This is a perfume that is probably going to appeal to younger women. It’s a good perfume for a teenager or someone in their early 20s. Obviously, anyone ‘can’ wear it, but this scent itself does have a playful youthful vibe versus some other designer fragrances.

Overall Impressions of Girl of Now Forever

Overall, do I like Girl of Now Forever? It’s good, but not great. That opening needs time to work itself out and isn’t amazing, but I do like how this one smells and performs thereafter.

It does skew younger, it seems, so it may be too bright and fruity for some older women. Rosy with its raspberry lemonade highlights coming through, is the period of this perfume that I particularly enjoyed.

It’s also easy to wear, will give you good longevity and enough power to be noticeable, while not blowing out whatever room you’re entering. Forever is a good flanker, if you’re already a fan of the Girl of Now series.

It’s at least worth trying out, if you’re completely unfamiliar. Not too polarizing that it wouldn’t be safe as a blind buy.